The present invention relates to a method of selectably connecting different data access devices to the same circuit board and a relevant connector module and, more particularly, to a method of selectively connecting two different types of hard disk drives (HDD) to the same circuit board and a connector module for achieving such selective connection.
There are generally two types of HDDs for notebook computers, namely the 2.5" HDD and the 3" HDD. Since the interconnection between each of the two types of HDDs and an associated main board is specially designed, e.g. the 2.5" HDD is equipped with an adapter of 44 (forty-four) pins to connect to a header of a first type equipped on the associated main board and the 3" HDD is equipped with an adapter of 50 (fifty) pins to connect to a header of a second type equipped on the associated main board, either type of HDD can only be connected to a corresponding one of two types of headers respectively equipped on two different main boards, but not vice versa.
Typically, the connection of a HDD to a main board is achieved via a flexible printed circuit assembly. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, to connect a 2.5" HDD 110 to an associated main board 199, a flexible printed circuit assembly consisting of a flexible printed circuit 150 and two insulation displacement connectors 120, 130 on both ends of the flexible printed circuit 150 is required. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2, to connect a 3" HDD 10 to an associated main board 99, a flexible printed circuit assembly consisting of a flexible printed circuit 50, one header 20 and one header socket 30 on both ends of the flexible printed circuit 50 is required. However, the use of a flexible printed circuit is not economical due to its high cost and, moreover, the removal of the HDD is cumbersome because it can only be done after the enclosure or case enclosing the HDD is removed and the flexible printed circuit assembly is disconnected from the HDD.
It would be advantageous to be able to selectably use either a 2.5" HDD or a 3" HDD with the same main board and to eliminate the need for a flexible printed circuit from the viewpoint of either versatility or cost-saving.